


Where’s your parents?

by choppedmint (forevermint)



Series: The Road Not Taken [8]
Category: The Morganville Vampires - Rachel Caine
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-02
Updated: 2019-12-02
Packaged: 2021-02-25 21:33:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 730
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21642259
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/forevermint/pseuds/choppedmint
Summary: ORIGIN "Disgruntlement: Where’s your parents?": I got fairly attached to Gwendolyn early on, since she and her family were the first to, in a sense, join the Goldman family. But that didn’t stop me thinking about what would happen when she grew up - mentally and physically - but Aaron remained roughly the same in both. Since he ages slightly differently, he would have been about mentally 13 in this story. There might be slight discrepancies with the intended time and what the town looks like.
Series: The Road Not Taken [8]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1558276





	Where’s your parents?

It was a bit of a struggle to not laugh when your ‘aunt’ was supposed to be taking you to the next town over, but you were older than your ‘aunt’ by a good hundred years and more. But this was what Aaron was doing and he went anyway. He didn’t have anything better to do, if someone asked him. Gwendolyn went ahead of him, her strides a lot longer now she was in her late thirties. She should have been married by now, Aaron knew, but she hadn’t and by now it was too late. So she functioned as his ‘aunt’ and made sure he didn’t attack the chickens. Or that was how his mother had put it, to Aaron’s distaste.

It was the longest Aaron and his family had stayed in one place and it was completely because of Gwendolyn. For right now, he thought they had a home in that house in the woods.

It was Winter, so he had an excuse to be bundled up from his head to his toes. The sky was also thankfully overcast. It was just what he wanted, if he was perfectly honest. This sort of thing wasn’t that uncommon. He knew what they needed to get, and Gwendolyn was able to walk with him to get it. She was very capable. But she was also human. And truthfully … Aaron _liked_ going with her.

The town was small, but even in the cold air there were stalls. Some were offering firewood or baskets, but in this case, they did need food. Human food. And a few other items they weren’t able to go without up in the houses.

Gwendolyn walked a bit ahead and Aaron moved like the child he still was. He was curious, but wary. He knew he had responsibilities. Gwendolyn kept him on task by checking back on him every now and again.

“Aaron,” she finally called, and the small vampire hurriedly stepped over to her side. She was holding some of the things they had been sent to get and Aaron offered his arms, easily carrying everything. They had to be careful about that. He put a carefully practiced look of strain on his face, but every now and again had to smile. Because it was all ridiculous.

They were on the way back through the town when Aaron’s nose caught his attention. Someone had skinned furs off in the corner of the lane. And there was the smell of blood. He shuffled over, still holding a food basket in his hands. The food didn’t make him hungry, but this new smell did. The practiced look of strain faded to a practiced look of disinterest. He was aiming just to pass close, like someone might pass close to a shop baking bread, even if they knew they couldn’t have any.

“Boy,” said a voice. Aaron ignored it. “Boy!” it said a bit loader. Aaron jumped, then looked around. Hesitantly, he brought the basket of food closer to his chest. Gwendolyn was still a couple of feet away, but she was looking around at the nearer shop.

“What?” he finally asked. The man doing the skinning still had blood on his hands when he leaned out into view. Aaron couldn’t make himself look away.

“Where’s the one who paid for that basket?” asked the man, almost suspiciously. As if he expected Aaron to have stolen it.  
“Well, I pa –“ Aaron almost said he’d paid for it, but instead held his tongue. He swallowed, and said, “My parents are at home, Sir. It was paid for with their money.”

The man didn’t look like he believed it. Aaron doubted he’d believe Aaron had earned the money by selling some things he’d carved either.

Gwendolyn seemed to have noticed Aaron’s trouble and moved back toward him. “Please excuse my nephew,” she said to the man. “He wandered off. Come on, Aaron.” She gently placed a hand on his shoulder and steered him toward the edge of town. Aaron’s face was coloring all the while. It seemed … so unfair. His cheerful outlook on the whole thing now gone. He should have been as old as the woman now playing the part of his aunt. He should have been _older_. But instead she had to pull him away from the sight of blood.

Morosely, he walked with her back to his house.

**Author's Note:**

> ORIGIN "Disgruntlement: Where’s your parents?": I got fairly attached to Gwendolyn early on, since she and her family were the first to, in a sense, join the Goldman family. But that didn’t stop me thinking about what would happen when she grew up - mentally and physically - but Aaron remained roughly the same in both. Since he ages slightly differently, he would have been about mentally 13 in this story. There might be slight discrepancies with the intended time and what the town looks like.


End file.
